‘Mechanic may have made false report’

Police reveal their version of the alleged 'Rela-police assault' on 42-year-old S Mogan, assuring the public of a fair probe.

KAJANG: The 42-year-old mechanic who claimed to have been assaulted by the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel and policemen was not even interrogated by the police who first detained him at the Taming Jaya police station, according to initial investigations by the Kajang police.

District police chief ACP Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said that the current probe revealed a different story from what S Mogan had alleged earlier this week.

“Yes, those three names the man mentioned exist. But our records show that the said policemen were not at the station at that hour, they only got to work at 8am,” he added.

Rashid said Mogan was merely held at the Taming Jaya station and later handed over to the investigating officer at the Kajang police headquarters, only then was he interrogated.

“When he was at the Taming Jaya station between 5am to 8am, no interrogation took place, the complainant’s statement was only recorded by the investigating officer Sargeant Ali at the Kajang police district headquarters,” he added.

Rashid said police were now looking into the possibility that the victim had made a false report, but stressed that they “can’t decide on anything until the probe was thoroughly completed”

“We are not drawing any conclusions from this, and will leave it to the Deputy Public Prosecutor, but this is what our investigations so far show,” he told a press conference.

‘They saw him climbing into a substation’

He said while statements from nine Rela men and three policemen had been recorded, the complainant had yet to come forward to give his statement, citing that he was unwell.

Rashid added that police had also have viewed CCTV recordings and took statements from eyewitnesses.

Pointing out several contradictory statements between Mogan and several other witnesses, Rashid said:”Firstly, the arrest was not made at a petrol station in Balakong, he was spotted by two Rela men who said they saw him climbing into a substation in Kampung Cheras Baru.”

Rashid said that according to Rela, Mogan then ran and hid in the bushes.

Following a call for back up, seven other Rela personnel had joined the two and had waited in a car for an hour before the man emerged from his hiding place and was apprehended.

“They also found various tools in the man’s car but he had claimed it was for his work as a patrolling mechanic,” said Rashid.

The police chief said when the suspect was handed over to the Taming Jaya station at about 3am, the man did not complain of any bruises or that he was assaulted by the Rela personnel.

“There were only minor wounds on his legs as a result of him running barefooted and we took pictures. He did not complain on that day to our officers. We are suspicious why he went to the doctor only after four days if it (his leg) was really broken,” he added.

Rashid said the suspect was released on Feb 16, after police found no concrete evidence of any offence committed. Mogan had lodged a report on Feb 19 on the alleged assault.

‘It would be unfair to suspend those involved’

Asked if the policemen who had allegedly beaten Mogan would be suspended, Rashid said that it would be unfair do so.

“Yes, in A Kugan’s case it was serious, and in this case we have yet to complete investigations. We can’t punish someone before he is proven guilty,” he added.

Rashid stressed that investigations were still incomplete until the complainant’s statement was taken.

“Until then, we will not stop our investigations and we will do our utmost to be fair to all parties,” he added.

Asked if Rela had the authority to make arrests, Rashid said it was considered a citizen’s arrest and anyone could do so.

On Feb 16, Mogan was allegedly subjected to hours of torture by law enforcement officers including having a gun pointed to his head to force a confession out of him.

He had claimed that the incident first started at a petrol station just 200 metres from his workshop-home in Taman Balakong Jaya.

He had claimed that eight men, five of whom were uniformed Rela personnel, had accosted him, searched his car and beaten him with batons and iron rods so badly that a bone in his left leg fractured.

Mogan also claimed that after being sent to the Taming Jaya station, four policemen abused him in order to get him to confess to car theft, drug dealing and various other crimes.

Mogan said he was handcuffed and put in an interrogation room where four men continually beat, kicked and stepped on him. They also used a rubber hose to hit his legs and feet.

He claimed that during interrogation, one officer pointed a gun to his head and threatened to kill him.

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